Blizzard
by Legendgrass
Summary: Raina (Chelsea) overworks herself and passes out, outdoors, in the middle of a snowstorm. Vaughn rescues her, and they have a tender chat in Mirabelle's shop.


A/N: Raina is just what I named my player. Not trying to confuse anybody. Read and enjoy!

* * *

Raina straightened, letting the axe fall from her grip to rest against her leg, and wiped her brow. Three hours of chopping wood and hammering stone in the cold had exhausted her, but she was determined to clear the island before it grew too late in the day.

A chill wind picked up, and she pushed her bandana off her forehead to let the breeze ruffle her mousy brown hair. Once her labored breathing had returned to normal, Raina hefted the axe again, muscles protesting, and raised it over her head to take a swing at the log before her.

The wood split satisfyingly when the blade struck, and Raina bent and tucked it into her rucksack. When she stood again, a wave of dizziness assaulted her. She shook her head, blinked a few times, and moved on to the next piece of wood.

Two more chops of the axe, and Raina nearly tripped and fell, her limbs were so heavy. The first few flakes of snow began floating down around her. She stacked the logs and dropped them into her bag, stepping around the corner of Taro's house to the next scattering of wood and rock. She put away her axe and brought out the hammer, positioning herself in front of the nearest stone.

When she swung, the head hit nothing but snow and dirt.

_That's odd, _she thought absently, _It was right there... _

Raina couldn't focus. She tried to raise the hammer for a second attempt, but black encroached on her vision and she lost her grip. The hammer thudded to the ground.

Snow and sleet was pelting down when she stumbled to her knees.

_I can't pass out here, I'll freeze, _she told herself.

It was useless, though. She had no control over her body. She couldn't stand, she couldn't call for help. She could only wonder how her situation had turned bad so quickly.

Raina fell forward onto her face, feeling the cold bite of the snow and ice on her skin. She hoped somebody, anybody, was crazy enough to be out in this weather. Someone had to find her.

_Please,_ she thought weakly, and then blackness took over.

* * *

Vaughn pulled his scarf up over his nose and mouth, trying to block out some of the stifling snow. He felt like an idiot for allowing himself to be caught outside in a snowstorm. Usually he would've known better, but today he'd been foolish enough to think he could finish up business and get home before the worst of it began.

He pulled his hat down low and hugged himself, trying to get warm, but his efforts were in vain. The freezing wind and precipitation cut through his thin clothes and chilled him to the bone no matter what he did.

Vaughn trudged across an open expanse unrecognizable in the swirling snow, heading for what he thought was the animal shop. He had almost arrived at the building when a dark shape caught his eye.

He would've ignored it, except that it looked remarkably like a person, splayed out on the ground. He debated continuing on or stopping to help, and in the end his softer side won out. With a sigh the cowboy changed course and made his slow way toward whoever was lying on the ground some distance away.

As he neared, Vaughn picked out the vivid red bandana and orange overshirt that identified the prostrate person as Raina, the farmer who'd been trying to befriend him since the day he'd arrived. Although sometimes her antics annoyed him, Vaughn had come to think of Raina as a friend, and maybe even a bit more.

He dropped to his knees beside Raina and rolled her gently onto her back. The planes of her young face were dusted with frost, her lips blue, her hair and eyelashes silver under a layer of ice. Her breath came short, and she was shivering uncontrollably. Vaughn winced at her condition and reached to brush away the frost on Raina's face. Her skin was cold.

The cowboy set his jaw, making a quick decision, and slid his arms under her trembling body. He lifted Raina with little effort, as the farmer was surprisingly light, and cradled her protectively against him to block out the snow as best as he could. With that he resumed his painstaking trek to the animal shop, his overtaxed friend in his arms.

Somewhere along the way Raina's eyelids flickered and she murmured something unintelligible, but after that she lapsed back into unconsciousness.

Vaughn was breathing hard from carrying her dead weight when he reached the door of Mirabelle's shop, which was of course shut and locked tight. With no hand free to knock, the cowboy instead kicked at the wooden door and shouted over the wind to whoever was listening inside.

After a moment the door opened, a rush of snow swirling violently into the shop, and Julia's alarmed face appeared in the opening. She started to ask, "What- " but was shooed aside and replaced by he mother before she could get a thought together.

Mirabelle took in the scene in a glance and then opened the door wide for him. "Get inside, honey," she addressed Vaughn, "Hurry."

He obeyed, and as soon as he was indoors Mirabelle shut the door firmly, abruptly cutting off the howl of the wind. The room seemed unnaturally quiet in its sudden absence. Vaughn stood unsurely, dripping water onto the floor, until Mirabelle motioned him into the kitchen.

"Put her on the bed, there. Julia, dear, stop gawking and get some blankets and a cup of tea," she directed.

Julia blinked and hurried to the cabinets. Mirabelle looked back to Vaughn. "Alright, we've got to get her out of these wet clothes. You- "

"What?" Vaughn interrupted, heat rising to his face, "I can't- "

"Fine, then you get the tea." Mirabelle waved one pudgy hand at him in annoyance, and Vaughn retreated to the kitchen.

* * *

Moments later, Raina, still unconscious, was clad in one of Julia's outfits and wrapped in a multitude of wool blankets. Vaughn had pulled up a chair and sat awkwardly beside the bed, holding a steaming cup of tea and waiting for the farmer to awaken.

He'd insisted that Mirabelle and Julia try and get back to sleep, and promised to wake them if he needed any assistance. Mirabelle had reluctantly agreed and left them alone.

Although it was much warmer indoors, Vaughn was still cold and wet from his time in the midst of the blizzard. It wasn't as if he, too, could borrow some of Julia's clothes. He almost smiled at the thought.

He turned the mug of tea in his hands and pressed his fingers to the warm ceramic, leaning back in his cushioned chair. From there he studied Raina's face, serene and pretty as she slept, a healthy color now that she was warmed up. Her damp hair was spread in a mousy brown halo around her head.

He'd never really paid much attention to her appearance before, but now that he thought about it, she was quite attractive in a simple, natural kind of way. He tilted his head. Raina was warm-hearted, too, and funny, and certainly not as shallow as some of the girls he'd met in the city.

He found himself wondering if she might ever want to be in a relationship with him. She planned to live on the island, after all, and he would be around much of the time... Vaughn shook his head. _Silly peaceful island life has gotten to my head, _he thought bitterly. And anyway, he'd never been anything but a cold jerk to her. Why should she treat him any differently?

His thoughts were interrupted when Raina drew in a deep, shaky breath and her eyes fluttered open. Vaughn sat forward, setting the tea on the side table nearby.

"Raina?" he said softly.

Her gaze slid drowsily to his face, and then her brows drew together in confusion. "Vaughn? What... where am I? What's going on?"

"You passed out in the blizzard and I found you. You're in Mirabelle's shop," Vaughn answered shortly.

Raina's eyes drifted closed again, and for a second Vaughn thought she'd slipped back to sleep. Then she spoke, voice wavering, "If it weren't for you, I probably would have died."

Vaughn started to shake his head, but he knew she was right. "Well... maybe. I'm sure someone else would've found you," he rubbed his neck and shrugged.

Raina opened her eyes again, and they were full of tears. "Thank you," she whispered. Her small, work-worn hand found his and grasped it tightly.

Vaughn looked slightly startled. "I, um, yeah. Sure. You're welcome," he tried a small smile, his first in quite a long time.

Raina noticed and broke into a grin. "You're smiling? I thought I'd never see the day."

"Me neither..." Vaughn said quietly. Raina was the first person in years to make him truly smile even the slightest bit. She seemed to know it, too. A pink blush rose to her cheeks, and she let his hand go.

They sat in uncomfortable silence for a few seconds. Then,

"So... I should probably get home now," Raina said, and started to sit up, but Vaughn caught her shoulder and pressed her back down.

"No, what you need is rest," he said firmly.

Raina held his gaze for a moment, then grunted in response and relaxed again, staring at the ceiling. It didn't take long for her eyes to stray back to him.

"How are _you_?" she inquired.

Vaughn pursed his lips. "Cold, wet, hungry, confused. The usual," he answered, eyes sparkling teasingly.

Raina rolled onto her side to face him. "Did you ask Mirabelle for something to eat? I'm sure she wouldn't mind..." she trailed off as Vaughn shook his head.

"I don't want to owe her anything," he said.

Raina searched his face. "How can you be worried about owing her a meal when I owe you my _life_?"

Vaughn shrugged and looked away. "It doesn't matter. I'll be fine."

Raina was silent for awhile. Then she reached up and removed his cowboy hat, revealing shaggy silver hair.

Vaughn looked at her as if she'd gone crazy. "What are you doing?"

"So you do have hair," Raina said, a smile pulling at her lips.

Vaughn frowned. He opened his mouth to reply, but Raina leaned up and kissed him before he could say anything, one hand rising to brush the nape of his neck. He was startled for sure, but he didn't pull back. A strange spark of joy flared in him.

Maybe things would work out the way he'd like after all.

* * *

A/N: And Mirabelle was standing there! Ah! Just kidding. So how was it? Review!


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